


Council-time Conspirators

by barber_shop_quintet



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Birthday, Everything is fine and gay, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Hubert von Vestra just wants what's best for Edelgard, Humor, Mentioned Black Eagles Students (Fire Emblem), Multi, Post-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24036175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barber_shop_quintet/pseuds/barber_shop_quintet
Summary: Edelgard has been in this council meeting for hours now.All relevant topics have been discussed.So why is Hubert, of all people, still rambling on?Alternative Summary:Edelgard can't find out about her surprise birthday party, so Hubert must serve as a distraction.Lucky him.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Exactly what the summary said. 
> 
> If you're not in this for lighthearted fluff and friendship then IDK what you're here for.
> 
> Also Byleth and Edelgard are already in a relationship here, ignore that I didn't really make that clear.

Edelgard was tired. 

Before the war, before the academy, even, when she had imagined leading the empire she pictured something out of the books she was read as a small girl. Her, leading the charge against evil, bringing the lands together and uniting all of Fódlan as one land and one people. 

She certainly hadn’t pictured council meetings. 

This one in particular seemed to be intent to continue on till the end of time and possibly beyond even that. 

She mentally chastised herself for the thought. 

She hadn’t become a leader out of a sense of heroic duty, or delusions of grandeur, but rather out of concern for the future of her people. Council meetings were an important part of maintaining the day to day peace of the nation. 

But, at the same time, Hubert was still going on about matters of intelligence. It was ridiculous.

For a man who claimed to belong to the shadows, he was certainly spending an awful lot of time in the spotlight in this meeting. Perhaps it’s a ploy to seem impressive to Ferdinand. She chastised herself again, Hubert was a devoted member of her cabinet and a passionate prime minister and she shouldn’t be dismissive of his efforts simply because of his blossoming relationship with Ferdinand. But still, she thought, he isn’t usually this intent on having his business heard. Was there something she had missed? Perhaps some hidden meaning in his words? 

Edelgard caught herself before she audibly sighed. Hubert was loyal and dedicated to his cause beyond all else, but some of his methods of communication when dealing with matters of secrecy were exhausting. 

Once, when still at the academy, She had tasked Hubert with a rather simple reconnaissance mission, hardly worth any thought and yet, he had immediately sent several notes detailing a convoluted proposal for a method of communication via door knocks based upon the musical tones of the circle of fifths. She had attempted to communicate that such a form of encryption wouldn’t be necessary for such a simple task but had failed at flagging him down before he left. 

It was when he returned that he finally sent her a message giving her a time later that day to reconvene. There had been no location given in the message and so she had made her way, inconspicuously, to his room after sundown only to be met with a locked door and no sign of Hubert. It was only after she had recalled the note detailing his proposed circle of fifths encryption did she realize his intent to try out the verification procedure. It took several hours of her both attempting to acquire musical theory books and restraining herself from asking Linhardt for any information he might know regarding musical theory before she found herself back at Huberts door banging on it in such frustration that only the approaching footsteps of one of the guards had been able to make her rethink her approach. 

Edelgard remembered the event with equal parts amusement and shame. 

It wasn’t quite the same nowadays, however, no matter how she looked at it. 

She and Hubert were no longer solitary conspirators surrounded by oblivious classmates and enforcing religious figures. A lot of the conspiracy that initially surround them in their academy days simply wasn’t necessary with their loyal friends and devoted heads of state. 

So what was Hubert doing? 

He was still going on, pacing behind the chairs of half of the long table, continuing to lecture the ambivalent seeming council as to the best method of isolating and reporting suspicious activity seen in the general public. 

What could it possibly mean? 

\--------------------------

Hubert was frantic. Though he prided himself on his ability to keep a level head even when facing the most dire of situations, none of his meticulous training or research had prepared him for the task he found himself faced with. Being a diversion. 

Of course the tactical benefit of a diversion was well known to him, both on the battlefield and in more contained settings. But this was a scenario that even he was unprepared for. 

It was Edelgard’s birthday.

More precisely, today was to be the celebration of Edelgard’s birthday. 

Being the empress meant that personal celebrations were far and few between for his lady, all spare time and energy spent towards mending and aiding the still fractured lands she led. It was both admirable and upsetting. 

Hubert was well aware Edelgard had her own desires and wishes beyond what the Empire demanded of her. He found himself wondering occasionally what she may have amounted to in a different life time, one without a system in need of rebuilding, without an empire in need of leadership. 

He always quickly dismissed those paths of thought. It was no use considering the alternatives of the past when the future was always fast approaching. If they did not consider the future first and foremost then they would most likely not survive long enough to regard the past at all. It was as simple as that. 

Still. 

Edelgard had sacrificed so much of her life to benefit others, it seemed almost blasphemous to deny her a day to rest and celebrate. Though she was not doing much of that now. 

Hubert had been stalling the council meeting for the last 45 minutes. He was running out of topics to broach that could last him until he was given the designated signal. Or had he missed it already? He heard himself stumble of his words and looked at Edelgard hoping his lapse in eloquence was not heard by her. She stared back into his eyes with barely contained suspicion. 

Damn. 

Damn Ferdinand for convincing him to be the distraction. Damn Dorothea for coming up with the idea for an elaborate celebration, damn Petra for coming all the way from Brigid, damn Bernadette for sewing and creating the intricate decorations currently being set up in the courtyard two floors below his feet, damn everyone else for helping. 

And damn the professor especially. He thought to no one in particular. 

\---------------------------

Bernadetta was nervous. 

She had been getting better about that, she really had! She wasn't as nervous as she used to be anymore, but...it was difficult to be anything but nervous when Hubert von Vestra himself had commissioned hand sewn curtains and favors for Edelgard's birthday. 

Hubert had been polite about it, of course, but the request was just so...odd! She hadn't even known it was Edelgard's birthday, she would have already made her something if she had. But then Dorothea had found her and explained that there was going to be a party, and that she was absolutely invited (if she felt like going) and that it was going to be a secret and it was going to be a big surprise for Edelgard! 

It all sounded wonderful, honestly. 

The only thing was, surprise parties usually relied on the person being...well...surprised. And Edelgard was someone who was difficult to surprise, or at least, caught off guard. 

Bernadetta had wondered about how they were going to make a whole big surprise party without Edelgard ever knowing. Fortunately, everyone who was told about it had pretty much the exact same question. 

Apparently Hubert, or maybe it was Dorothea, had decided that the people involved in the party planning had to have at least one meeting before the actual set up for the celebration. A bit of time set aside without Edelgard noticing for all of them to talk amongst themselves and decide what needed to happen. It made sense! 

It hadn't really happened though. 

It had! But not really in the super efficient, serious way that Hubert was probably hoping it would. 

Before everyone was in the room Hubert and Ferdinand had already started arguing about the color scheme or something and then Caspar had come crashing in, practically dragging Lindhardt (who might've been asleep) into the room and leaving the door wide open. And that had startled everyone into being quiet, but then Hubert threatened Caspar, who wasn't really listening, and that's right about when Dorothea took over as head of the party planning committee. 

Dorothea had proposed that they go for a more tasteful celebration reserved for close friends and well wishers, nothing too fancy or extravagant. And nothing that would cause them too much grief to set up. 

In the end the meeting had come up with a pretty solid plan, and everyone seemed at least willing to chip in, even Lindhardt promised to try to stay awake for a bit of the party. 

Bernadetta sighed as she paused in her sewing. 

It had gone wrong very quickly. 

First the goods that they ordered from one of the merchants got delayed by bandits and so Byleth had taken Caspar and gone to try and help, and then it had rained, so everything got delayed and then they got a letter from Petra saying that she was delayed so that delayed everything even more. 

By that point Bernadetta figured that by the time they got their ducks in a row, Edelgard definitely would be surprised, because no one would expect a party for a birthday that had already happened weeks before.

But things seemed to come together rather quickly after Byleth and Caspar returned with the merchants in tow. Even Petra had managed to have the boat course she was taking changed and ended up making it just in time for the actual day. 

It all seemed to be coming together, but by the time everyone and everything was where it should be they only had one day to make and set up everything for the party. 

It left everyone very tense. 

Dorothea was looking over everything while entering into a stage of frenzied panic that made her twist her hair around in her fingers while muttering under her breath.

Ferdinand had taken to drinking much more tea than could possibly be healthy. Bernadetta even thought she'd seen him drink straight from the pot. 

Petra was obsessively checking everything, writing and rewriting the place cards at the table to make sure that her handwriting could be read by absolutely everyone. 

Caspar had been running things back and forth all day, gathering supplies from the kitchen and so forth. He had started out excited but after doing it non-stop for hours, even he was starting to wear down. 

Linhardt was sleeping on the floor underneath some the fabric she was using to sew garlands. 

And Byleth...Byleth had left some hours earlier, telling Dorothea she still had to get her present for Edelgard ready. 

Oh, well. 

There wasn't much she could do except continue working until the last possible minute. 

She just hoped Byleth got back in time. Whatever she was doing must be pretty important. 

\------------------------------------

Byleth had been fishing for the last several hours. 

It was going alright. Nothing too spectacular, mostly just stuff to be thrown back and some odd fish that she threw to the cats that inevitably found their way to her when she fished. 

She looked up at the window she knew looked in on the council meeting room. 

El was probably still up there, listening to Hubert as he tried to stall the meeting for as long as possible. 

She almost felt bad. She was the one they were waiting for, kind of. 

She had told Ferdinand offhandedly earlier that she still hadn't gotten her present for El and he had all but thrown her out of the set up and told her that he would wait to give Huber the signal that everything was ready until she had time to get something. 

And now she was here. 

She sighed. 

Catching a specific fish was taking longer than she had anticipated. She didn't think that Hubert could stall for much longer. 

She felt a tug at her fishing line. 

\----------------------------------------------

Ferdinand was going to loose his mind. 

Throughout his lifetime he had persevered in the face of trial and tribulations. He had met the challenges he faced with dignity and grace befitting someone of his station. 

And yet this was testing it all. 

Did he mind? No. 

Would he complain? No. 

Did the fact that Byleth wasn't back make him want to stick his head in a teapot?

Yes. 

He had promised Hubert that he would take care of the timing. It was of the utmost importance that Edelgard not be exposed to the surprise celebration prematurely. He had insisted to Hubert that he was perfectly capable of seeing that the few things remaining done while Hubert distracted Lady Edelgard. That had been hours ago. They only had a short amount of time to set up the out of doors area to a standard befitting of the empresses' birthday. Almost all of it was completed. Only a few things remaining. Only one former-professor missing. They were almost there. 

But it had been too long. She was bound to notice. The longer things dragged on the more anxious he became. The longer he stared at the direction that Byleth had left in the more unravelled he became. 

Perhaps it was time for another cup of tea. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Edelgard was done. Her patience had run out. She had not uncovered the hidden message Hubert was trying to convey, nor had she discovered any clues as to what was going on. She thought back to things he had done before. Methods of messages and systems of encryptions that he used over the years. She could not figure out what he was doing! 

She wanted to slam her head on the table. Fortunately, whatever last part of her patience was still present won out and she calmly but firmly cleared her throat. 

"Ahem"

Hubert continued talking. 

He had most definitely heard her, even those sitting at the far end of the table turned their eyes to her and he was much nearer to her than them. 

"Ahem!" she repeated

Hubert was avoiding eye contact. 

"Minister von Vestra!" 

Hubert was now making eye contact. He looked startled. 

"I apologize for interrupting so abruptly but we are well over our time limit for this meeting." She turned to the rest of the table "I sincerely apologize to all of you for the inconvenience to all of your schedules, I know you all have far more pressing matters." 

Hubert's eyes darted to the window. He seemed to be watching for something. 

"Do you have anything to add Minister von Vestra?" 

"I..." 

"Yes?" 

"I...um"

A thunk resonated through the room, Edelgard turned in time to see a fragment of stone, a pebble, fall away from the window pane. 

"Yes!" Hubert yelled. 

Her head whipped back to face Hubert. 

"Er...My sincerest apologies, Lady Edelgard. I was unaware of how long I had spent on the topic." 

"Yes...well. Try to be more cognizant next time. Now, what was that?" 

"I will investigate it, my lady." 

Hubert bowed slightly and, without so much as a backwards glance, walked briskly out of the room. 

Edelgard was even more confused than before. 

She thanked the rest of the council for their attendance and patience, and, after checking to make sure the next meeting was scheduled, watched as each one left the room with no more incidents from any one of them. 

She stood from her chair, taking stock numb her legs felt after sitting for so long, and considered what she was to do with the rest of her afternoon. 

And it was well into the afternoon, even bordering on dusk. She considered attempting to find Hubert and attempt to find some answers as to what exactly had happened during the meeting, but she rationed that whatever it was could remain a mystery for a little while longer. 

She had arrived on the ground floor of the palace and was still debating with herself about what activity she should fill the rest of her day with when she heard a noise from behind her. 

"El." 

She swung around to find Byleth standing in the middle of the hallway. She looked...wet. The front of her outfit had dark stains on it and her hands were dripping wet. Had she been fishing? 

"Are you free?" 

Edelgard had been entirely focused on the front of Byleth's shirt and quickly shook herself free of her preoccupied thoughts at the question. She tried to appear collected. 

"Yes! I'm...I have nothing scheduled." 

"Do you want to go to the courtyard with me?"

Edelgard nodded, blushing as Byleth held out her arm for her to take. 

They had been together for almost two years, but such acts still elicited flustered reactions from Edelgard. 

Byleth smiled. 

Together they walked into the courtyard. 

"SURPRISE!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why a fish? this is why a fish
> 
> byleth is trying

To say that Edelgard was surprised would be an understatement. Out of all the things she had suspected when she first noticed Hubert’s bizarre behavior during the meeting, him hiding the set up of a celebration for her was not one of them. 

It was wonderful. 

All of her friends, the ones who stood by her, fought with her, celebrated and mourned with her taking time from their lives to surprise her? It was almost too much. 

She hadn’t thought about her birthday in several years. After her family was torn to shreds, celebrating being alive for one more year felt…cheap somehow. Until Byleth had walked with her into the courtyard she hadn’t even remembered it was today. 

It certainly explained a lot. 

The courtyard had been almost completely covered in decorations, streamers and banners with a large open sided tent and a table placed in the center. Her friends must’ve spent hours putting it all together, she marveled at how well coordinated they must’ve been. She almost wished she had been there to see it. 

She was still arm in arm with Byleth as she was walked to the table and put in the chair at the head of the table. All the while her friends continued to surround her and giving hugs, warm wishes and presents before settling into their places a the table. Was everyone was here? She looked around, locking eyes with Petra seated two seats away on her left. Even Petra!? When had she gotten here? Had she truly travelled all the way from Bridgid for her?

Her mind was still reeling at it all but she could feel the presence of tears in her eyes and quickly tried to regain her composure. 

She needed to say something, it was all becoming too much. 

“I...” 

The voices around her quickly quieted, though Caspar had to be shushed several times before he was truly silent. 

She tried not to let her voice quake as she spoke

“Thank you. All of you, this is…truly impressive.” She turned to Hubert, seated directly to her right “I really had no idea…was this the reason for your outburst during the meeting?”

She could hear snickers from further down the table, had Hubert’s outburst not been a predetermined part of the plan? 

“Yes, lady Edelgard. My role was to provide ample time for the celebration’s set up. I apologize for the…bizarre display. I assure you it will not happen again.”

So there hadn’t been a secret message at all…she mentally scolded herself for not knowing better

Hubert continued: “It was originally planned that I would only act as an active distraction should the party not be ready by the meetings natural end, however, as I received no signal that everything was ready, I was forced to intervene.” He glared at Ferdinand to his right. 

Ferdinand blanched. 

“I was wholly aware of the signal’s necessity Hubert! I was providing ample time for the Profes—Byleth, I was providing time for Byleth to get her present for Edelgard! I was not simply lounging around dallying on purpose!” Ferdinand almost shrieked, Edelgard turned to look at Byleth who had taken her seat directly to Edelgards left.

“You got a present for me?” 

“I did. I tried at least. I was aiming for one with more meaning I suppose, but I ran out of time and didn’t want to keep Ferdinand waiting any more.” 

Edelgard could hear Hubert and Ferdinand continue to bicker but she payed them no mind. Her mind was racing at what Byleth could have gotten, something with meaning? What did that mean? What was meaningful? 

Dorothea finally spoke up from further down the table. She had been long suffering both due to Hubert’s perfectionist nature when it came to all things Edelgard and due to Ferdinands overzealous eager-to-please disposition. She thought it was rational that she be allowed to cut this particular argument of theirs short and eagerly seized the opportunity. 

“Presents! What an excellent idea! Byleth why don’t you give yours first since yours has such meaning.” She winked at Edelgard. 

“Oh. Alright then.” 

Both Hubert and Ferdinand were silent at that. And all who were seated at the table seemed to hold their breath as Byleth rummaged with something on the floor. Even Lindhardt had leaned forward in his chair to peer at what Byleth would give to El. 

It was a fish. 

Byleth had placed a fish in a bag on the table in front of Edelgard. 

“Right, well. I wanted to give you something that meant something and I wasn’t sure what to give, but I remembered hearing Dorothea mention that Salmon meant desire-” 

“I was talking about flowers! Not the fish!” Dorothea practically shouted from her seat. 

“Oh. Well, I didn’t catch any salmon anyway so it didn’t really work but I figured that maybe the message would still be the same.”

“I love it.” 

Byleth’s eyes seemed to brighten at that. 

“Really?” 

“I do. It’s a very fine fish, and I’m sure you must’ve spent a lot of effort trying to catch it. Thank you, Byleth. I love it.” 

Edelgard heard a thunk and turned. Dorothea had dropped her head onto the table. 

—————————————————————————

Following Byleth, everyone had given their gifts ranging from a whetstone from Caspar to an adorably stuffed black eagle from Bernadetta. Edelgard loved every one of them and found herself on the verge of tears several times over the course of the party. But now the celebration was over. Even with all the excitement and partying Edelgard was beginning to feel the impact of a long day. 

She eventually bid everyone goodnight. Thanking them sincerely one by one and hugging Petra tightly as she inquired as to how long she was planning to stay in the capital. 

The sun had long since set and while she had been content to remain and aid with the take down of the elaborate decorations both Ferdinand and Dorothea had quickly nixed the idea, stating that the birthday girl simply couldn’t be allowed to work during her time of celebration. 

A part of her wanted to argue and remind them that she had begun the day much earlier and had been working up until very recently, but she relented. 

As tired as she was Edelgard couldn’t help but smile as she attempted to gather her wonderful presents in her arms. 

Byleth was waiting for her in the entryway, holding the fish she had offered to carry to their room. 

They walked in near silence, until steps away from the door Byleth stopped. 

“El.”

Edelgard was startled out of her thoughts. She had been wrapped up in remembering the party and feeling overwhelmed with love and appreciation for her friends and her lover she hadn’t even notice Byleth stop walking. 

“I have something else for you.”

Edelgard had gotten many surprises over the course of the day, both big and small, but still she found herself once again surprised. 

“Besides the fish?”

“The fish was a part of it but it wasn’t right so I couldn’t…I didn’t want it to seem strange.”

“The fish is lovely By, It’s not strange.”

Byleth fell silent at that but eventually approached Edelgard only stopping to place the fish in front of their door. 

Byleth straightened up and looked back at El. “I love you.”

El felt her heart melt even more. She never got tired of hearing Byleth say those words. But Byleth continued: “I want to marry you.” 

That took Edelgard by surprise again. Was the fish meant to be part of a proposal? 

“I was thinking about asking you tonight at the party but I didn’t…I wasn’t sure if you’d want that. We haven’t really talked about if it’s something you want. But I love you and if you don’t want to get married that’s fine, but if you do…let me know and I’ll give you a ring.” 

While Byleth had been speaking Edelgard had absentmindedly let her arms go slack, barely managing to catch the box containing the very expensive-looking jeweled necklace that Dorothea had given her earlier that day. 

Edelgard paused for moment after Byleth finished, only turning slightly to place her gifts gently in front of their door before wrapping her arms around Byleth and kissing her gently. She tried to pour all the affection and love she felt for the woman into the kiss, though when she pulled away Byleth still looked at her with a slightly questioning gaze. 

“I do want to marry you.” 

Byleth smiled and wrapped her own arms around El, pulling her close to kiss again. 

Edelgard couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While they kissed Byleth wondered whether she should wait for El's next birthday to give her a ring.

**Author's Note:**

> Am I fucking with characterization to suit my own needs? 
> 
> Maybe! 
> 
> also-i'll try to add to this if anyone wants to see the deal w/ byleth and the fish 
> 
> but right now i'm tired and it's like 4 am
> 
> ignore any typos


End file.
